Nova Scotia Intermediate Baseball League expands

HANTS COUNTY – The Nova Scotia Intermediate Baseball League will have an expansion team added for 2015.

Just like the Kennetcook Braves in 2014, the Pictou County Royals are ready to join the NSIBL.

They will become the second team to play out of Pictou. The other team is the Albions,

The Noel Road Blue Jays will be back to defend their 2014 league championship title.

League officials were kind to the Blue Jays in the development of the 2015 schedule, giving them nine of their first 11 games at home.

The Blue Jays are the only Hants County team who will not play opening weekend as they wait until May 31 to open up against the Kennetcook Braves.

As for other Hants County teams, the Windsor Knights open with their first four games at home before embarking on a seven-game road trip.

The Hantsport Shamrocks will open with six of their first eight games on the road, including opening weekend when they travel to Windsor to play the Knights in a double header on May 24. The first game starts at 1 p.m. at Tremain Crescent.

The Kennetcook Braves open with four games on the road. They are back home for four games and then back on the road for four.

Due to the expansion entry, the league has decided they will try a 28-game schedule between May 24 and Aug. 23. This means there will be a home and away series for each of the teams against the other seven league entries.